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John Pricci

HorseRaceInsider.com executive editor John Pricci has over three decades of experience as a thoroughbred racing public handicapper and was an award-winning journalist while at New York Newsday for 18 years.

John has covered 14 Kentucky Derbies and Preaknesses, all but three Breeders' Cups since its inception in 1984, and has seen all but two Belmont Stakes live since 1969.

Currently John is a contributing racing writer to MSNBC.com, an analyst on the Capital Off-Track Betting television network, and co-hosts numerous handicapping seminars. He resides in Saratoga Springs, New York.

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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY, Sept 17, 2013—There’s no question that Wise Dan is a great turf miler, which does not in any way disparage his laudable versatility.

And it doesn’t matter that the Woodbine turf course was unusually glib on Sunday but the 2012 Horse of the Year can really, really run.

The Woodbine Mile was timed in one minute, thirty-one, and seventy-five one hundredths. Yikes! All that while Hall of Famer Johnny Velazquez sat still, more passenger than pilot.

Behind him were a couple of nice turf horses, Za Approval and Trade Storm. And while track announcers can deliver eye-rolling calls by ratcheting up excitement in the wake of a great performance, albeit lacking competitive drama, it was a neck-hair raising effort to be sure.

Once again, however, his connections, led by an 83-year-old owner who’s been racing Thoroughbreds for over four decades, refused to take the champion out of his niche, but were rewarded when $579,540 was deposited into Morton Fink’s purse account.

At what point does business become sport and sport become business?

Two years ago I had a cup of coffee as a horse owner. My little claiming filly was a break-even experience during the short time she raced.

As might be surmised, my financial circumstances were much different than Fink’s. But the point here is that there is nothing more exciting in racing than watching your horse race—and win!

And that comes from an owner who, on occasion, had the opportunity to earn more money winning a bet than Dubai’s Connection ever could have earned by winning a race at her level of competition.

There is talk that the gelded Wise Dan could race again in 2014 as a seven-year-old which is a lovely sporting gesture.

But there is a test that doesn’t take Wise Dan out of his comfort zone that’s a little more challenging.

Now no one will ever confuse the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile with many of the original events on the Breeders’ Cup program including the Mile on turf.

But at least it’s on dirt, and with the three-year-old Verrazano pointing toward that end-of-year event, this would be a worthy and most interesting test.

Most observers agree that Verrazano would make a top class miler. Wise Dan, proven on all surfaces, is a proven great miler. Verrazano has a speed edge; Wise Dan a battle-tested experience edge. Santa Anita dirt is neutral territory; the weights are at scale. There’s no Game On Dude and no top class European turf miler to contend with.

Verrazano’s trainer Todd Pletcher, while choosing spots wisely, doesn’t back down from a challenge. Pletcher would see the upside immediately.

This would also be a way for Morton Fink to not tackle Game On Dude on his home field, create the kind of buzz that might even upstage the Classic; in short, giving something back to the game.

Is Cigar Mile Incentive Bonus Really Necessary?

Last week, the New York Racing Association announced two purse incentives that, if criteria are met, could double the value of the Grade 1 $500,000 Cigar Mile Handicap.

Under the revised conditions, any previous Grade 1 winner who competes in the Cigar would race for a gross purse of $750,000. Should a winner of any Breeders' Cup race, from any year, compete, that horse would run for a purse of $1 million.

Is it good horsemen’s relations to give the rich incentive to get richer? Can’t a half-million dollar Grade 1 in New York stand on its own?

The purse for the 2012 was $350,000, so it’s already worth $150,000 more.

Last year's Cigar Mile attracted the 2012 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Groupie Doll which, with a victory, might have earned the filly Horse of the Year honors. Credit the Bradleys et al for not only extending their filly's distance capacity in a Grade versus males.

The victory by Stay Thirsty, the second Grade 1 of his career, certainly could not have hurt his stud value. Having been increased significantly, the race already has intrinsic value.

Last year’s renewal attracted a certain sprint champion because their sporting connections wanted a chance to have it all. It turned out to be a stomach-punching nose defeat.

If the association is willing to spend an additional half-million dollars, why not use it to create five restricted stakes at a $100,000 apiece to go along with the four graded events on the program. It would be a card to rival Wood or Belmont or Travers day.

The NYRA then could promote their big 2013 championship-sealing events beginning Breeders’ Cup weekend, early enough before promising good horses begin shipping to warmer climes.

Running in the BC Dirt Mile would be a step down for, as you said, the Turf Mile often gets very good European runners. Oddly enough, you have the dirt mile in the article which would be the step up. Don’t you think the purse incentives are designed for just that matchup? Potential winners of both BC mile events meeting up, with maybe the Sprint winner thrown in as well. Wouldn’t that be a race of the year caliber event?

I’m ok with this as long as none of the purse money comes from the budget for Chris Kay the petting zoo at Saratoga as that is the key I’m told to getting customers/fans/patrons back out to the track. Imagine if we had this bonus last year, we may have gotten ill-suited and over the top horses like Tapizar or Trinniberg to run behind the legendary Stay Thirsty, thus justifying the additional 250k to the winner. This year we might get Justin Phillip. Hey, Rail Trip is still in training. As for Wise Dan, considering the Hamlet act his connections perform just trying to decide whether to go to Woodbine or Keeneland or both I’m guessing that calling an audible that involves cross country travel, a change of surface and a three week turnaround is probably a bit of a longshot. Which makes this idea, which I do believe is designed to lure the reigning champ, yet another brilliant idea from the folks that brought us 240 races at Saratoga this summer.

I’m afraid I don’t get your logic here. He should run in a lesser race to prove his versitility against a “Gr1 miler-type” (not a Gr 1 mile winner). It is already known he can run well on dirt so this would prove nothing. Popping both the BC Mile and the Cigar seems to me would prove a whole lot more, if such needs proven, than running in the BC Dirt Mile, which has about a 0% chance of happening anyway. NYRA is trying to put out incentive to have a monster of a race here. Probably won’t happen, but should we be blaming them already for trying?

BC Turf - $2 million
BC Dirt Mile-$1 million
They should run for less?

The only true sporting thing to do is run in the Classic.

It’s not the owner or trainer’s fault anyway. Who can blame them for what they’re doing. It’s easy money at the horse’s preferred distance and on his preferred surface.

I blame turf writers/voters who selected Wise Dan HOY, Turf Champion, and Champion Older Horse based on his accomplishments as a middle distance horse - instead of more accomplished horses who won at Classic distances (Little Mike, Point of Entry, I’ll Have Another).

I, for one, wish the Euros would still send their best horses and give him some real competition. But, I think that may have ended with the advent of the Champions Day in England.

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I can’t blame NYRA for trying to come up with something special post Breeders’ Cup. I actually might make a trip down to the city for it if it draws the right horses.

Denny, if it draws the right horses? Kyle makes a good point; so the Cigar is the spot for Shanghai Bobby--after all, if it worked for Stay Thirsty..

And isn’t there enough money at the highest levels of the sport. How about the little guy earning a shot at a little black type, even the restricted variety, and a few extra bucks?

You mean four graded stakes, including a Grade 1, and five restricted events wouldn’t be worth the trip. A low takeout, restricted stakes 50-Cent P5 and all-graded stakes P4? I’m in.

Kyle, why not try a little more sarcasm--you’re very good at it. Ever consider a career in turf writing?

Al, my intent was to get WD out of his mile on turf comfort zone and add to his legend, not detract from it. The Shadwell turf mile, with many good horses ducking WD? What does that prove? Besides, how does WD leap-frog Game On Dude in the polls? If Sunday’s track record performance didn’t do it this week…

As stated, I’d like to see the little guy get a shot at some purse money and lower case black type. With Horse of the Year on the line, the Bradleys didn’t hesitate to run a FILLY beyond what is her very best game.

However, if the idea is for Wise Dan to end his season in the Cigar Mile, I would be all for it. In fact…

WD on the grass--OK, he is pretty good!! In fact, right now at a mile there is nobody even close to him....you have a hot shot trainer that think they can beat him at his game...game on....my horse,my ball,come and take it from me...if you have any ba-----I pay the bills,he will run where I want him to run...do not care what the writers would like to see happen....that is what Mr. Fink believes in...so the turf writers can promote all they want, everything stops at his house…

He’s got no chance of passing Game on Dude in the polls unless that horse blows the Classic again. Of course that one hasn’t been beating the cream of the crop either. 5 races and had Clubhouse Ride 2nd 3 times and Kettle Corn 2nd the other 2. Both horses in question for the award are both excellent runners and why must we blame either one for beating what shows up? Do you hold against Man O’ War that he beat (I believe) 18 runners in total his 3yo year (and likly double counting in there)? Woodbine Mile is a major race and only 5 runners dared show. And if we are calling for Wise Dan to run on dirt to prove his worth, then where are the calls for Game on Dude to run on turf or in a mile race? It’s all silly. Pick the one you like better and everyone else be you know what. I like Dan better though Game on Dude has won me more money.

I agree the BC Dirt Mile is not on the road to HOTY, but despite TimeformUS’s huge numbers for G-O-D, who has he beaten? That wasn’t exactly the cream of the crop competing in the Pacific Classic.

If Cross Traffic can prove himself at 10 f, he’ll be the one to beat. One could argue Flat Out is better than ever when he doesn’t have to swim. Fort Larned or MMM would not be a surprise. And then there are the 3YOs ...

Doubt WD will take HOTY without a dirt win. Also doubt WD would run in the cigar at AQU rather than the Clark at CD. The latter would raise the ante if that’s what it took.

Commentary and engagement on a variety of issues; enjoyable stuff, thanks all!

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